Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 15, 2019 10:50:13 GMT 12
Search for plane missing on Coromandel Peninsula
Mike Mather
09:38, Jun 15 2019
A plane has failed to return from a flight over the Coromandel Range near Coromandel township.
A search is under way after an aircraft failed to return from a flight over the Coromandel Peninsula.
The two-seater Vans RV-12 with one person on board took off from Whitianga Airport at 4.25pm on Friday, bound for Ardmore Airport near Manurewa in Auckland.
Thick fog at Manurewa meant it could not land at that location and it is understood the plane may have made a return journey to the Coromandel Peninsula, Maritime New Zealand senior communications advisor Stephanie Morison said.
Its last known position on satellite and radar was in a rugged area of the Coromandel known as Kakatarahae, not far from the Coromandel township.
The Auckland-based Westpac Rescue Helicopter was assigned to search and locate duties, however the weather conditions prevented it getting to the location yesterday. It is now involved in the search again.
A police helicopter was also dispatched to the area to search for the plane, and a ground-based search and rescue party was sent in overnight, bound for the aircraft's last known position.
"There is difficult terrain there," Morison said. "We are hoping this is still a rescue mission."
Mercury Bay Aero Club member Tony Turner said he could not divulge the identity of the pilot, other than he was a "well-loved" Whitianga man.
More soon.
Stuff
www.stuff.co.nz/national/113511344/search-for-plane-missing-on-coromandel-peninsula
Mike Mather
09:38, Jun 15 2019
A plane has failed to return from a flight over the Coromandel Range near Coromandel township.
A search is under way after an aircraft failed to return from a flight over the Coromandel Peninsula.
The two-seater Vans RV-12 with one person on board took off from Whitianga Airport at 4.25pm on Friday, bound for Ardmore Airport near Manurewa in Auckland.
Thick fog at Manurewa meant it could not land at that location and it is understood the plane may have made a return journey to the Coromandel Peninsula, Maritime New Zealand senior communications advisor Stephanie Morison said.
Its last known position on satellite and radar was in a rugged area of the Coromandel known as Kakatarahae, not far from the Coromandel township.
The Auckland-based Westpac Rescue Helicopter was assigned to search and locate duties, however the weather conditions prevented it getting to the location yesterday. It is now involved in the search again.
A police helicopter was also dispatched to the area to search for the plane, and a ground-based search and rescue party was sent in overnight, bound for the aircraft's last known position.
"There is difficult terrain there," Morison said. "We are hoping this is still a rescue mission."
Mercury Bay Aero Club member Tony Turner said he could not divulge the identity of the pilot, other than he was a "well-loved" Whitianga man.
More soon.
Stuff
www.stuff.co.nz/national/113511344/search-for-plane-missing-on-coromandel-peninsula
The weather at Ardmore wasn't actually too bad yesterday afternoon but it looked very murky out towards Coromandel.
